6 Months Jail for Indian News Paper Editor

By Akhand in India

An Indian Local court on Saturday awarded six month jail term to a Regional News Paper Editor for publishing false and malicious reports after a girli's death in Capital city of Indian Coastal state Orissa, Bhubaneswar. The court also awarded six months jail to the Publisher of the Oriya Language news paper "The Dharitri".

According to reports, This newspapers reported on a girls death in a school as murder after gangrape. Subhadra Mahali, a 13 year-old student of class VI in the local Chandrasekharpur DAV Schoo,died on 2003. The Newspaper reports on October 30 and 31 and November 1 that the girl was gangraped and thrown from the terrace of the school building.

Student's mother Parvati Mahali filed a defamation case in the Bhubneswar Court. The reports were found to be false in the court of law. After hearing both the party Court on saturday awarded six month Jail term and INR 5,000 each to the editor Mr. Tathagat Satpathy and Publisher Mr. DandaPani Mishra. Mr. Satapathy is also a Member of  member of India Parliament. By the way both have got a bail as they will approach higher court.

Mother of the student expressed her happiness over the court's verdict and said she has got justice.However, in his reaction, the Editor of the Newspaper said he would approach the higher court." I respect the verdict of the honourable court. But my paper always strives to bring truth. The truth on this issue would come out one day.